Subliminal Crack.

What will be next for us ladies? Will our right to vote be taken away too?!

South Dakota Senate passes abortion ban bill
Bill meant as a challenge to Roe v. Wade

Thursday, February 23, 2006; Posted: 1:25 a.m. EST (06:25 GMT)

Demonstrators marched on the Supreme Court to mark the 33rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

PIERRE, South Dakota (AP) -- Legislation meant to prompt a national legal battle targeting Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, was approved Wednesday by the South Dakota Senate, moving the bill a step closer to final passage.

The measure, which would ban nearly all abortions in the state, now returns to the House, which passed a different version earlier. The House must decide whether to accept changes made by the Senate, which passed its version 23-12.

"It is the time for the South Dakota Legislature to deal with this issue and protect the lives and rights of unborn children," said Democratic Sen. Julie Bartling, the bill's main sponsor.

The bill, carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison, would make it a felony for doctors or others to perform abortions.

Bartling and other supporters noted that the recent appointment of Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito make the Supreme Court more likely to consider overturning Roe v. Wade.

President Bush, a Republican and an abortion foe, might also have a chance to appoint a third justice in the next few years, they said.

Opponents argued that the measure was too extreme because it would allow abortions only to save the lives of pregnant women. They said abortion should at least be allowed in cases involving rape, incest and a threat to a woman's health.

Planned Parenthood, which operates the only clinic that provides abortions in South Dakota, pledged to challenge the measure in court if it wins final approval from the Legislature and is signed by Gov. Mike Rounds.

Rounds, a Republican and a longtime abortion opponent, has said he would "look favorably" on the abortion ban if it would "save life."

Other state legislatures are considering similar measures. But South Dakota is the only state so far to pass such an abortion ban, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights organization in New York and Washington, D.C.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Meaning THANK GOD IT'S OVER (Valentine's Day). Could it be ANY MORE commercialized? Insane! I feel sorry for the poor guy who really did want to buy his girl diamonds but couldn't. What an unnecessary source of stress to be under. Personally I would be happy with a plain old verbal "Happy Valentine's Day" spoken from the heart; and a sincere kiss. I was with someone for over 10 years and never got squat for V-Day so I am used to it. I also feel sorry for the women who DEMAND such extravagance on V-Day - they don't understand the meaning obviously...

I have decided that I am going to make this a great year. Period.

Let me just start by saying that I do love the Christmas holiday - this was just such an "off" year; I am sure everyone has had one of those in their life...

Oh lordy where do I begin. Let's see, for starters I had to give
my daughter to my Ex on Saturday morning for his GLORIOUS Christmas at his new
house for her so I wasn't in the best of moods regardless to say.
(Yes, I know I need to just get over that shit and move on but it just
really got to me). Here is a summary of events:

1. Get to my hometown, which I refer to as "The Land That Time Forgot, The Land Of The Lost", etc., around 5pm to find mom on the couch, sick as a dog,
unbathed, the whole thing, she couldn't even get up to answer the door.

2. NO food. And I mean none except for a few pies and cookies my stepdad
had picked up and a partial frozen ham leftover from Thanksgiving. We
ate leftovers out of their refrigerator the entire time I was there. I
am suprised I didn't get samonella.

3. My mom's cat. Dying. Well, actually mom had to put her down
yesterday - something that should have been done TWO WEEKS AGO BUT NO
LETS SAVE IT FOR CHRISTMAS. For the love of God she was 15 years old.
That is ancient. Didn't stop the "Do you think I am just a horrible
person?" tears from mom though; just randomly out of the blue ever so
often. Over and over again.

4. Mom decides that we all need to talk to my dad's mom AND mom's
stepmother who is always completely plastered by 7pm and almost
incoherant. So she dials the phone and then passes it off to me
(because she's too weak and sick)... I enjoyed talking with my dad's
mom for the HOUR she kept me on there but then I was also in charge of
making the other call and that was just sad (her state).

5. Christmas - we didn't do gifts for anyone but the kids which is
FINE ABSOLUTELY FINE with me. Stepdad however decideds to get mom a
new pc monitor/flat screen. She gets upset because she didn't do
anything for him. A few hours later he is talking and she just looks
at me each time he leaves the room and says "I hate him". Then when he
does try and talk to her she now plays this game where she acts like
she can't hear him so he has to repeat himself 3 or 4 times so he can
see what she has to "deal with". And of course she wants me to ask him
to repeat everything he says as well which I refuse to do.

6. The ceiling fan in the guest bedroom sounds like a bad airplane
propellor. I can't go to sleep because it is so loud and I fear it is
going to fly off and decapitate me.

7. My brother comes in with a TON of gifts for his girls that need to be
wrapped. The rest of the evening is spent badmouthing his Ex which I shall refer to as "Sybil" and
talking about the court date which is tomorrow and all the "what ifs". (Custody battle - and I mean battle!)

8. More leftovers. I ask mom how she is feeling ever so often because
her mood seems cheerier and she admits she is feeling better - that is
until each time Stepdad asks her she gets her little girl "i'm so
sick" face on and says she feels too ill to stand. Go figure.

9. Got up early because I just couldn't sleep. Stepdad has been up
since 3:30am and is ready to chat away. I am desperately trying to get
some coffee down before I explode with rage.

And that about wraps it all up. I don't know what else to say. Except
for it will be a long time before I go back. I was SO glad to get
home. - - - all of that and you know I love my dysfunctional family but
STOP THE MADNESS.